Lever-operating mechanism.



c. A. cHlsToFFERsoN.

LEVER OPERATING MECHANISM.

(Application filed lJuly 8, 1902.;

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Patented Nov. I8, |902.

c. A. .cHmsTuFFEBsorL LEVER UPEBATING MEGHANISM.

\Application filed July 8, 1902.:

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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CHRISTIAN A. CHRISTOFFERSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THEUNION SWITCH d: SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYL- VANIA, ACORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANI- LEVER-OPERATING MECHANISNI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,854, dated November18, 1902. Application tiled July 8,1902. Serial No. 114,709. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Beit known that I, CHRISTIAN A. CHRIsToF- FERSON, of St. Paul, in thecounty of Ramsey, State ot' Minnesota, have invented a new and usefulLever-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,forminga part of this specication, in Which- Io Figure 1 is aplan View of a derail, showing my improved operating connection appliedthereto.. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of theadjustment which I employ; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the I5 same.

The object of my invention is to improve the connection between the mainoperating device and a switch or other railroad appliance and to providemechanism by which the zo movement of said main operating device may befully or only partially transmitted to the switch, and a further objectis to provide a construction which permits the relative position of thedevice operated to be adjusted z5 with relation to a iXed portion of thetrack or other structure without disturbing the operation of theconnections.

In the drawings, 2 2 are the tracks.

3 is a derail, alongside of which is placed 3o the single-pointed switch4:. The switch-rod 5 is connected to an arm 6 of a bell-crank lever '7,which is pivoted upon a suitable bracket 8, secured to one of the ties.A jaw 9, having a screwthreaded connection with the switch-rod 5, joinsthe rod to the arm 6, and the adjustment thus afforded permits theswitch-point to be adj usted with relation to the stock-rail, therebycompensating for the wear on the stock-rail, and thus faulty 4oadjustment of the switch is prevented.

To the arm 11 of the bell-crank lever 7 I secure, by means of a pin 12,the operating connection 13, by which the amount of stroke given to theswitch-rod 5 is regulated, and

consequently the movement of the switch 4,

attached thereto. This connection 18 comprises a pair of jaws 14 and 15,the former being secured to the pin 12, while the latter is providedwith slots 16 16, through which the piu 12 passes. This pin l2 alsopasses through 5o the arm 11 of the bell-crank lever and secures theparts 14 and 15 thereto. The jaw 14 is provided with a short stem 17,which enters a smooth socket or bore 18, formed therein. The oppositeend 19 of the bore or socket is 55 threaded to receive thescrew-threaded stem 2O of the screw-jaw 21. To the opposite end of thescrew-jaw 21 is secured by a suitable screw-threaded connection 22 themain operating rod or pipe 23, which is supported in 6c the usualcarriers 24, secured to the ties. The rod 23 is operated in any of theusual wellknown Ways, and by its movement the switch is opened orclosed. The threaded stem 20 of the screw-jaw is screwed into thethreaded bore or socket 19 the desired distance, and thereby the strokethat is to be given the switch-rod and the switch connected thereto maybe regulated to a nicety not heretofore possible. The slots 16 16 affordthe desired 7o amount of lost motion, so that although the stroke of themain operating-rod 23 may be considerably greater than the desiredswitch movement it is not effective to move the switch-rod and switchuntil the `end of the stem 17 strikes the end of the stem 2O of thescrew-jaw 21. It will thus be seen that the whole or onlya small portionof the stroke of the main operating-rod may be used in manipulating theswitch. 8o

The advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated by thosefamiliar with the operation of switches and the necessity of regulatingthe amount of movement of the same; also,the desirability of providingmeans 8 5 by which the switch-point may be adjusted with relation to thestock-rail in order to take up wear. These ends I accomplish in a simpleand efficient manner, and I have shown in the drawings one form of theap- 9o paratus which I believe to be best adapted to railway-switchoperations; but as my invention is applicable to many uses other thanthe operation of railway-switches where it is desired to afford likeadjustments and a greater or less amount of movementto an operated partI do not desire to limit myself to a railway-sWitch-operating device norto the vexact construction and arrangement of parts,

as these may be varied in many ways by the skilled mechanic; but

1. In railway-switch-operating mechanism, the combination with the railsand switch, of a main operating connection extending longitudinally ofthe rails, a switch-operating connection, and an adjustable connectionbetween the same, whereby the movement of one of said connections may beadjusted to give the same, or a diierent, amount of movement,relatively, to the other, thereby controlling the amount of movementgiven to the switch.

2. In railway-switch-operatin g mechanism, the combination with therails and switch, of a main operating connection extendinglongitudinally of the rails, a switch-operatin g con'- nection, a lever,an adjustable connection between said lever and one of said operatingconnections, whereby the movement of one of said operating connectionsmay be given the same ora different amount of movement, relatively, tothe other, thereby controlling the amount of movement given to theswitch.

3. In lever-operating mechanism, the combination with a lever and anoperating-rod, of a mcvementregulator, comprising a member looselyconnected to said lever, a stop on said member, said operating-rod alsobeing secured thereto, and a second member secured to the lever, andprovided with means for en-l gaging the slot in the other member andwith a projecting portion adapted to engage the stop on the slottedmember, whereby the amount of lost motion of said first member isdetermined, and the amount of positive movement of the lever isregulated.

4. In lever-operating mechanism, the combination with the lever and anoperating-rod, of a movement-regulator between said operating-rod andsaid lever, comprising a slotted member loosely secured to said lever, astop carried thereby, and a second member secured to said lever by a pinwhich is also adapted to engage the slot in the other member, therebypermitting lost motion for a portion of the movement of said slottedmember, said stop being arranged to engage said second member after saidlost motion is ended and to move the lever positively through itsengagement with said second member, thereby giving to said lever thedesired amount of motion.

5. In railway-switch-operating mechanism, the combination with the railsand switch, of an operating-lever, a main operating-rod secured to oneend of said lever, and a switchoperating rod to the other end, alost-motion connection between the main operating-rod and said lever,whereby the opposite end of lever may be given the same or a differentamount of movement from the main operating-rod, thereby controlling themovement of the switch, and an adjustable connection between saidswitch-operating rod and said lever, whereby the position of said switchis uniformly maintained with reference to the stock-rail; substantiallyas described.

6. In railway-switch-operatingmechanism, the combination with the railsand switch, of an operating-lever, a main operating-rod secured to oneend thereof, an adjustable lostmotion connection between said mainoperating-rod and said lever, whereby the amount of movement of theopposite end of the lever is regulated, a switch-operating rod connectedto this end of the lever, and an adjustable piece connecting said leverand switch-operating rod, whereby the position of said switch isuniformly maintained with reference to the stock-rail; substantially asdescribed.

7. In railway-switch-operating mechanism, the combination with the railsand switch, of an operatinglever, a movement regulator, comprising aslotted member loosely secured to said lever, an operating connectionadapted to impart motion to said member, an adjustable stop carried bysaid member, a second member secured to said lever and having a pinwhich engages said stop, a stem in said second member adapted to engagesaid stop and to limit said lost motion and by said engagement to movesaid lever positively during the remainder of the movement of the mainoperating connection, and a switch-operating rod secured to the oppositeend of said lever, which imparts movement to the switch; substantiallyas described.

8. In railway-switch-operating mechanism, the combination with the railsand switch, of an operating-lever, a movement-regulator,

comprising a slotted member loosely securedv to said lever, an operatingconnection adapted to impart motion to said member, an adjustable stopcarried by said member, a second member secured to said lever and havinga pin which engages said stop, a stem in said second member adapted toengage said stop and to limit said lost motion and by said engagement tomove said lever positively during the remainder of the movement of themain operating'connection, a Switch-operating rod secured to theopposite end of said lever, which imparts movement to the switch, and anadjustable connection between said lever and the switch-operating rod,whereby the switch is maintained in uniform relation to the stock-rail;substantially as described.

9. In lever-operating mechanism, the combination with the lever, of amain operatingrod, and adjustable mechanism connected to theoperating-rod and loosely connected to the lever, whereby the movementof the lever vmay be varied so as to be equal to or different from thatof the operating-rod; substantially as described. In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand.

CHRISTIAN A. CHRISTOFFERSON. Witnesses:

ALF. MUNTHE, T. A. PoLLEYs.

IOO

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